Self-wringing mop



Nov. 26, 1940. v. K. COOPER SELF-WRINGING MOP Filed March 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 34 l//fyi/ -f. Cac/,0G13

W L36 ATTORNEY;

' Nov. 26, 1940. v. K. coopm 2,222,834

SELF-WRINGING MOP' Filed March 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet P.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED Asrnrss rArgENrjorsicE 2,222,834 SELF-WRINGmG Mor n Virgil K. cooper, Nori-.11 Hollywood; Calif. Application March 29, 1939, Serial No. 264,765

9 Claims.

My invention relates generally to mops, and more particularly to the type known as selfwringing mops.

The problem of wringing a mop to remove surplus water, without requiring the operator to get his hands dirty or wet, has engaged the attention of inventors for a number of years. Some have solved the problem by placing a squeezing apparatus on the side of the pail, but this creates a cumbersome, top-heavy arrangement which may be easily up-set. Others have 'attempted to solve the problem by providing wringing apparatus .on the mop itself, but this has usually resulted in a mechanically complicated mop, or one requiring a special form of mop cloth.

It is a major object of my invention to provide a self-wringing mop which overcomes these disadvantages while being simple to use and positive in operation.

It is another object of my invention to provide such a mop which makes use of a simple mop cloth of any reasonable length.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a mop of this type which may be made almost entirely of metal stampings, thus appreciably reducing the cost of the mop.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred and optional form thereof, and from the drawings illustrating those forms, in which: Fig. 1 is a utility view of my preferred form of mop,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in section, taken at 2 2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, taken at 3 3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at 4 4 in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of my preferred form of mop showing the box-like member and its associated clevis, with the square sleeve omitted,

Fig. 6 is a side view yof a diierent type of yoke transfer means which may be used in place of that shown in the assembled mop,

Fig. 7 is a utility view of an optional form of my invention,

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of my optional form taken at 8 8 in Fig. 9,

Fig. 9 is a plan View of my optional form,

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional View taken at Ill-I Il in Fig.. 9,

Fig. Ilis a perspective view of ran optional form of handlaand Fig. l12 is aview, partly in section, showing.y how a wooden-,extension may be attached to the4 handle shown in Figs. '7-9.

Referring no w to the drawings, and' particu.- larly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, the numeral II)A indicates a handle, usually made` of wood, upon which slides a circular sleeve II which is moved to effect the wringing of the mop. At the lower end of the handle Ill is a` pair of rollers l2 and.l I3 between which passes a mop cloth I4 carriedV by a pairfof rods I5- and Ilia attached to the` sleeve Il, they motion of the sleeve` along the` handle. causing fthe cloth to be pulled between the rollers thus removing the surplus water from it.v 'It is to Vbeunderstood that the. term' mop cloth includes string-type mops andall materials, natural and artificial, used in place ofcloth. y. n

The roller I2 is` carried by a clevis I6 which is attached at its center to a box-like memberl Il' attached to vthe forward. end of the handle Ill. Adjacenteachside of thepoint of attachment to the' box-like' member, the clevisv is provided with transverse' slots I8 vand I8ar through which pass the `rods ,I5 and I5a respectively. The oppositepsides .of the box-like member I1 which are adjacent the rod-like members .I5 and 15a are provided with. U-shaped. openings. I9 and,- I9a. which have their axes of symmetry parallel to the axis of the handlel, and their arms pointing towards the roller-I2. Passing through these U-shaped openings I9 and |911l is a yokeV 2i),v slidablyattached tov the rods I5 and I5a, so that the .rods maybe moved forward without moving it; but projections 2I1and 2Ia on rods I5 and Ilia engage the yoke and move it'with them when the rods are moved backwards.k A pawl 22 is pivotallymounted within the boX-'f like member VIl in back of the U-shaped'openr ings I9 and I9a, and as the yoke 20 movesback? ward in the lower arm .of the lU-shaped open@ ing, it encounters the pawl and is 'lifted upward, 45,

so that when the yoke is quickly moved forward, it will enter the. upper arm of the U. I

The .rods I5 and Ia extend in a straight line from the circular sleeve Il through the trans-y verse slots I8 and I8a.; and ata distance somewhat beyond the latter, they arevoiset from each other to clear roller I3 and its supporting member. At their forward 'ends,.the rods-I5 and Ia are Vturned towards each other andv joined to form the support for the mop cloth I4, offsets being provided if necessary to clear the clevises or rollers. While I have shown the mop cloth I4 held to the rods I5 and I5a by a vide means, such as flanges on the forward ends clip 2I fitting over the cloth and pressed together so that teeth in its edges will engage the cloth and prevent it from slipping, other suitable holding means may be used.

The roller I3 is carried by a movable clevis 23 which is attached to arms 24 and 24a extending forward from a square sleeve 25 fitting around the box-like member I1. A coil spring 26, attached to the handle IU, bears against the square sleeve 25 and presses it forward, thus urging the roller I3 toward the roller I2. To provide strength and rigidity, 'I prefer to proof the clevis 23, whereby the clevis 23 will be braced by the clevis I6 and held in alignment with it. 'I'he forwardly-extending arms 24 and 217|aare` perpendicular to the sides of the boxlik'e member II which have the U-shaped openings |9 and .I9a in them, and the arms are spaced aparta sufficient distance so that they avoid theI clevis' I6 and extend to and support the movable clevis 23. In this way, the roller I3 is yieldably lpressed against the mop cloth I4, lsqueezing the water out of the latter by forcing it V against the roller I2.

1 In back of the forward-extending arms 24 and z 24a, the square sleeve 25 has its top and. bottom then returned, the free mop cloth is brought backy tothe rollers. At this point, assuming that the yoke is inthe lower arm of the U-shaped '5 opening, the projections 2| and 2Ia on the rods I5'and.|5a. engage the yoke and force it backwardsagainst the sides of the square sleeve 25. This movement .of the sleeve separates or opens therollers I2 and I3, and at the same time the yoke 20 encounters the pawl 22 and is raised to the upper armof the U-shaped openings I9 and'IBa, thus raising rods I5 and I5a and lifting the topV of the mop cloth I4 through the space between'the rollers. If the circular sleeve II is their released, the spring 126 will force the square sleeve 25 forward, carrying with it the roller I3 and the rods I5 and I5a.

.In actual use, the mop cloth I4 may be dipped in the water or desired solution, and the cloth then`removed.from the solution and held over the pail while the circular sleeve I I is moved forward to wring the mop cloth, and then backwards to insert it again between the rollers I2 and I3. In this connection, it should be noted that with the paWl and U-shaped transfer means illustrated, it is necessary to turn the moprover, that is, rotate it 180?V withfthe handle I0 as an axis, after the sleeve I IV has been moved forward and before the rollers I2 and I3 have been separated preparatory to the insertion of the mop cloth I4 between them. In' this'way, the mop cloth is hanging down in proper position to be inserted between the rollers I'2 'and -I3'from underneath; and in addition, the

pawl-22is'rotated to the proper position to effect the raising of the yoke 20 from the lower arm of the U-shaped openings I9 and |911 to the upper arm.

While I prefer to use this style of transfer means, since it insures the mop cloths being inserted between the rollers with the minimum possibility of tangling, other transfer means may be used, such, for example, as that shown in Fig. 6. As illustrated there, a plate is provided with two parallel slots 3| and 32 connected by a pair o-f cross-slots 33 and 34. The yoke 20 is guided by these slots, and springs 35 and 3G guide it into the cross-slots 33 and 34 when the yoke is moved backward, to the left in the drawings, from its forward position in slots 32 and 3|, respectively. Springs 31 and 38 then permit the yoke to enter the parallel slots 32 and 3| respectively, and then close the cross-slot, so that the yoke 20 will remain in that parallel slot. Thus with this form of transfer means,v no rotation of the mop is necessary to operate it; however, it is still advisable to insert the mop cloth between the rollers from below. It will be apparent, of course, that other styles of transfer means may be used to accomplish the same result by a different method.

In Figs. r-l0, I have illustrated an optional form of my invention which will find particular application where it is desired to make use of a longer mop cloth, and in'other circumstances in which its advantages will become apparent.

In my optional form, I prefer to extend the rods I5 and I5a. to form the mop handle, and thus I am able to eliminate the wooden handle III, substituting in its place, the member indicated generally by the numeral 4U, I prefer to make the member 40 of two pieces which, when properly assembled, provide a grip or handle 4I connected to the clevis I6 by webs 42 and 43. outwardly-extending flanges on the upper and lower edges of the Webs 42 and 43 add strength and give each web the same cross-sectional form as a structural channel; and the webs are held in parallel spaced relationship so that a sliding member 44, described hereinafter, may slide between them. The clevis I6 supports the roller I2, as in the preferred form, and transverse slots I8 and IBa are provided for the rods I5 and I5a, as previously described. The grip 4I is formed by bending enlarged portions of the flanges down and around, outside the rods I5 and I5a, to provide a comfortable handle or grip. A U-shaped opening I9 in each of the webs 42 and 43 serves the same purpose as in the preferred form, and a pair of pawls, 22 and 22a, one on the outside of each web, replaces the single pawl 22 of the previously-described form. If it is desired to have the two pawls 22 and 22a rotate together, a rivet 45 having square ends or other suitable means may be employed. A sliding yoke 20, engaged by projections 2I and 2Ia., moves in the U-shaped openings I 9 and is transferred from one arm of the latter to the other as heretofore explained, thus raising the rods I5 and I5a.

In the space between the two webs 42 and 43 slides a member 44 which corresponds to the sliding square sleeve 25 of the preferred form, and like the member 40, is preferably made of two webs 46 and 4'I, with flanges on their top and bottom edges, placed back to back and held together by any suitable means such as spot welding, etc. Slots, such as 48, permit rivets, such as 45, to extend between the webs 42 and 43 without interfering with the sliding of the member 44; and a transverse slot 49 permits the yoke 2D to move from the lower to the upper arm of the U-shaped opening' I 9 while at the same time pro-v viding a surface for the yoke to bear against and effect the movement of the member 44. At its forward end, the member 44 is formed intol a clevis 23 which carries theroller I3, while a coil spring 26 bears against the grip M and the rear end of the member 4.3, to urge the latter and its associa-ted roller forward.

In use, all the members cooperate in a manner similar to that of the preferred form; and the device is operated in the same way, save that instead of sliding the circular sleeve I I forward, the grip 4l is moved backwards.

If for any reason it is desired to use the optional form, but a wooden handle is preferred, the rods l5 and 15a, may be bent inwardly but not joined at their upper ends; and a handle of wood or any desired material may be attached as shown in Fig. 12. Other means of attachment may be used, of course, the one illustrated being shown by way of example only. It is possible in this way to provide various length handles which may be interchanged as the occasion demands.

In Fig. 11, I have illustrated another manner in which the handle may be made, and in this view, I have shown it made of split tubing, which possesses the advantage of being lighter while at the same time supplying the necessary strength. When this construction is used, the yoke 2li, instead of fitting over the tubing, may be provided with enlargements on each end which project into the tubing while the shank of the yoke passes through the longitudinal split or slot in the tubing. If this is done, the tubing may be crimped to close the split, and the projections 2| and 2id eliminated.

While I have shown and described a preferred and an optional form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, except in so far as limited by my claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A self-wringing mop which includes: a handle; a rst roller; a second roller; a mop cloth adapted to pass between said rollers; spring means urging said second roller toward said first roller; rod-like members supporting said mop cloth, said rod-like members being slidably mounted with respect to said rollers, whereby said mop cloth may be pulled therebetween; means for separating said rollers by the movement of said rod-like members; and means for inserting said mop cloth between said rollers while said rollers are separated.

2. A device as described in claim 1 in which the means for separating said rollers includes: a yoke slidably attached tosaid rod-like members; means on said rod-like members adapted to engage said yoke; and means connected to said second roller adapted to be engaged by said yoke to move said second roller away from said rst roller against the urging of said spring.

3. A device as described in claim 1 in which the means for inserting said mop cloth between said rollers while said rollers are separated includes: a yoke slidably attached to said rod-like members; means on said rod-like members adapted to engage said yoke; a member having a U-shaped opening through which said yoke passes, said member being attached to said first roller; and a pivoted pawl attached to said member and adapted to transfer said yoke from one arm of said U-shaped opening tothe other arm of said opening;

tached to said first roller, and a pivoted pawl attached to said member and adapted to transfer said yoke from one arm of said U-shaped opening to the other arm of said opening.

5. A self-wringing mop which n includes: a handle; a box-like member on the lower end of said handle, said member having U-shaped openings in a pair of opposite sides; a first roller at tached to said box-like member by a clevis having a transverse slot therein; a sleeve member slidable on said box-like member; a second roller attached to said sleeve member and which may bear against said rst roller; a spring urging said sleeve member toward said rst roller; a sliding sleeve on said handle having attached thereto a rod-like member passing through said transverse slots in said clevis andl carrying a mop cloth on its lower end; a yoke passing through said U shaped opening and slidably attac-hed to said rod-like member; engaging means on said rodlike member for engaging said yoke and causing it to move said first-mentioned sleeve away from said rst roller, separating said rst and said second rollers; and a pawlpivotally attached to said box-like member adjacent the base of said U-shaped slots to transfer said yoke from one arm of said U-shaped slot to the other arm of said slot.

6. A self-wringing mop which includes: a handle; a mop cloth attached to said handle; a first member slidably attached to said handle and carrying a first roller, said member being provided with a U-shaped slot; a pawl pivotally attached to said member adjacent the base of said U-shaped slot; a yoke slidably attached to said handle and guided by said U-shaped slot; a second member slidab-ly attached to said rst member; a escond roller attached to said second member and located soas to be capable of squeezing said mop cloth against said rst roller; a spring bearing against said rst member and said second member, urging said second member toward said first roller; and engaging means on said handle to engage said yoke and cause said yoke to move said second member away fromv said first roller.

7. A self-wringing mop which includes: a rst roller; a second roller yieldably urged toward said rst roller; a mop cloth; rod means carrying said mop cloth on one end thereof, said rod means being slidabrle with respect to said rollers in a plane substantially parallel to the plane determined by the axes of said rollers, whereby said mop cloth may be pulled therebetween; and means for inserting said mop cloth between` said rollers.

8. A self-wringing mop which includes: a first roller; a second roller yieldably urged toward said rst roller; a mop cloth; rod means carrying said whereby said mop cloth may be pulled therebetween; and means for inserting said mop cloth between said rollers, said means including means for separating said rollers.

9. A self-wringing mopwhich includes: a rst roller; a second roller yieldably urged toward said first roller; a mop cloth; rod means carrying said mop cloth on one end thereof, said rod 

